Monday, August 3, 2015

helmet cam test part 1: hi-speed trail ride!

So it's really happening guys. My longtime dream has become reality and all the pieces have finally come together!


step one: adhere rotating camera mount to helmet
Tack of the Day (ie: impulse shopping FTW) happened to have One K skull caps on sale for $125 on the very day that I whined about the crappy elastic camera harness purchased separately (and since returned). Carly pointed out that skull caps were really the best way to go, using the adhesive mounts that came with the camera.


step two: attach the camera
You may recall that I already have (and adore) a One K helmet, so this was a no brainer. The only missing piece now is a navy helmet cover, currently on order at Dover (conveniently this turns out to be an even exchange cost-wise with the failed elastic camera harness). 


step three: world domination?
But a missing helmet cover certainly wasn't enough to keep me waiting any longer. It was hotter than hell out tho so the answer was obviously a trail ride (esp since it had been a few weeks since our last outing). 


game mare is game
So yea, we went on that trail ride. I kept it fairly short bc bugs + heat (and the whole having a life outside of the barn thing, despite appearances) so we were only out for ~30 minutes, with a quick sweep of the fence lines and a loop through the woods. 



But technology being the super cool thing that it is, video editing software condensed that 30 minutes into < 4 minutes. It's a tad choppy - but nbd if you just keep your eyes on Isabel's adorable ears and the path ahead. 

I actually kinda love it. Plus the helmet cam was super stable on my head, none of that herky jerky bounce that the elastic harness produced (tho really it's hard to tell with the 16x speed).

maybe a little tired and sweaty tho too lol. mare was actually STEAMING after her bath!
So I am SO PUMPED to get the helmet cam into regular rotation. It won't fully replace the traditional videos-by-bystanders, since it doesn't really give a sense of the whole picture. Plus, ya know, I love me some video stills!! 

But it'll be perfect for giving a whole new perspective - particularly on the cross country course when we can't reasonably (or reliably) expect a camera person to keep up. 

27 comments:

  1. I wish they'd make a front mount camera as small and sleek as the side mounts. Mine is like having a brick on the front of your head, but I really like that view and position (safety wise). Yours doesn't look nearly so big/obtrusive as mine though.

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    1. i really strongly prefer the more streamlined look of the side mounts too, and actually really like the view too

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  2. YASSSS! Although I have to say that the high-speed trail video made me a little motion-sick, hah!

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    1. This. I got about half-way through and couldn't. I want a slo-mo of the logs, to see if you jumped them! And I love the path. And the pauses to greet other ponies. I'm excited for all the other stuff you'll share!

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    2. lol that's all good feedback - perhaps i'll keep the hi speed stuff to a minimum? this whole video editing thing is still kinda alien lol, but hopefully i'll have some better footage soon!

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  3. my boss won a Go Pro and I was like just give that to me. you have no use for it. it's still sitting on his desk 3 months later. waste!

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    1. i think you should just ask to borrow it haha

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  4. I'm doing some camera shopping but I agree with 900FB - The GoPro is HUGE! Do you love your camera? I love the side mount and what a TOTD win!

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    1. so i just got the camera after learning it's the same one Carly from Poor Woman Showing uses. the camera is SUPER easy to use, both for recording and for loading the footage onto a computer. the side mount has been less than stellar so far tho, with the adhesive part failing almost immediately. i'm hoping it was just a defective piece and am waiting for a reply from the company bc... yea not cool! everything else is awesome tho :D

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  5. Yay for fun helmet cam videos! I've got a GoPro and helmet strap (that I purchased with credit card reward points, so technically free??) that I like a lot (: It is added weight on the helmet but after awhile I've stopped noticing and it captures great video and does still shots too. I think the newest Hero version they slimmed it down.

    I have found that two-pointing for speed videos makes them come out much better/steadier/less motion sickness, just something to try!

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    1. definitely! i probably won't be doing many speed videos in the future - this was mostly just a test to see how it would do in different lighting conditions and at various speeds,and whether i had the angle lined up etc. but there was no way i was foisting a 30min video onto youtube haha

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  6. EEEE can't wait to see ALL the helmet cam vids!!!

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    1. i can't wait for opportunities to CREATE all the helmet cam vids!!!! :D

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  7. Replies
    1. i am SO PUMPED!! still dealing with some mount issues but will hopefully have it all fully resolved just in time to start showing again!

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  8. I love my helmet cam! It's a drift and I made a custom harness for it. I don't even anymore, so it's been sitting for a long time! But I have lots of videos from my XC days!

    I'm pumped to see some more videos!

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    1. yessss i actually watched a bunch of your older videos when i found your blog and got caught up - esp the steeplechase ones were a lot of fun!! i can't wait to start chugging out some of my own :D

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  9. Replies
    1. it's kinda silly how excited i get about this stuff lol

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  10. This is new and exciting post. I never seen helmets with cam before. I'm glad I discover something new in here. Thank you for posting Isabel. For whole fun experience Horse Riding Gear is important to wear all the time.

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  11. I have a go pro camera but I don't know what to get for a mount. Should I get the strap or the clip? I have a one K and don't know what will work best.
    -Madison

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    1. hm, i don't know about the go pro cameras since they're a different type than what i have - but i think they typically attach at the front of the helmet? for the type of camera that i have, the strap didn't really work out so i have an adhesive patch on the helmet that the camera snaps into. however if you look around on amazon, you'll probably find things with decent return policies so you can test out a few different attachment mechanisms and see what works best. good luck!

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    2. Thank you so much! Can't wait to record my cross country and eventing season next year :)

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    3. awesome!!! i hope you get some great footage - my helmet cam is literally my favorite thing every (just about) and i LOVE looking back on old xc footage :)

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    4. I just ordered one :)

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    ReplyDelete

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